Tony K. made my experience at this local watering hole, where all service industry folks come to enjoy their time and commune after work. As a visitor, this is the type of place that makes me feel connected to the community of OTR. Your love of people watching is exemplified here. Don't plan on being not asked for a cig or a dollar, believe. That your bartenders will take care of any stranger asking for advice or ideas or info on the area. My time was heightened by my experience here with Tony K as my bartender and the people I met subsequently. read more

Holiday Spirits - This is THE HOST with THE MOST Tony K. He makes OTR feel like home for so many! - Pool Halls Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Katie makes the best gawd dang margaritas I've ever had much love puro party! Holiday freakin rules read more

Holiday Spirits - Pure excellence - Pool Halls Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

One of the best bars in Cincinnati. I can walk my fat ass in, find a spot at the bar, and get a cold refreshing drink in seconds. The service is always top notch. I sometimes feel like royalty. The televisions aren't overwhelming, the music isn't stupidly loud, I love watching bad pool players, the AC is cold, they have G4 tequila, basketball machine, a few exits for a quick escape from your ex, a big ass bar, a scoreboard, and an outdoor area to watch the craziness that goes on downtown. Oh yeah, they have a Zoltar fortune-telling machine and it told me I would find my true love on August 17th... we'll see if that comes true. read more

Holiday Spirits - Pool Halls Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

I had one of the worst customer experiences of recent memory in this bar. I ordered food at the Senate inside in of the bar and waited at the bar with friends. After several minutes of trying to get someone's attention one of my friends went to the other end of the bar where she was spoken to very rudely by a bartender. We decided not to order and wait for our food when the bartender came down and proceeded to yell at us and demand we either order a drink or wait outside for our food. There are a lot of great bars in Cincinnati, great upscale, great dive bars and everything in between. I'd suggest trying one of the other ones. read more

This place reminds me of what I thought the coolest bar would be like as a kid! It has a pool, games, good beer, and food, and the staff is dope. read more

Visiting from out of town. Thought this place was pretty solid with drink and food.. really lacking in Tvs though. Main side of the bar doesn't even have a tv. 4 relatively small tvs on the wall of pool room. Get ready for a neck cramp Sarcastically replying... very nice! Well welcome to the bigger business world. Time to evolve read more

I have heard really great things about Holiday Spirits, so I suggested we stop in during a night down in OTR. It was pretty quiet for 9pm on a Friday night, but that was totally fine for me. I loved the vibe of the place and appreciated the skiball and pool tables! The bar staff wasn't really friendly and acted as if we were bugging them when ordering drinks. The most friendly person was the bar back, who unfortunately could not help with drinks or paying out our tab. Overall it's a place I'd go back to, but wouldn't be my first pick. Side note I hear the food is great! We didn't try it out, but maybe on our next venture there! read more

Loved this place on a Friday night. Staff are warm and welcoming. Food nearby with Senate. Bartenders are awesome. Zoltare in the house.

Hire better and nicer bartenders, whoever the dude was working last night, was so rude and had terrible costumer service. Waited so long to get a drink because he was talking to some chick at the bar (who didnt even order anything). We were told a specific price for a drink, and he charged me $7 over the total($17 for both drinks) ....(my two friends got the same drinks and were charged $10 for both).....the lady was nice though, also the beer was flat asf But if the bartender who was there last night, reads this go f yourself, you are a douchebag and you have horrible customer service, no I did not leave a tip after that read more

I drove past this place multiple times, but since the sun was out I thought I'd stop in to try some of the slushees I kept hearing so much about. Sadly, the slushee machine was down, but the Rainbow Brite was a nice substitute with a scoop of sherbet on a hot day. There's a limited food offering and lots of games to play while you enjoy your cocktail or beer (they have a decent draft selection). Parking in the lot across the street is reasonable also. read more

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Totes two thumbs up Chill Vibe. (casual and cute) Strong drinks. (I ordered the rum & Cheerwine cocktail- IT. IS. STRONG.- opted for piña colada in super cute tumbler for second round) Fun stuff. (good music and fun games for all) Good food. (mediterranean street food served hot & fresh from Forty Thieves food window in back of bar.) Definitely check this place out! Also, parking is available directly across street and the street car stop is right at the front door, so you have no good excuse not to stop in. read more

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After walking through OTR and Findlay Market, this was a welcoming spot! They have a nice draft selection and I really enjoyed relaxing on their big outdoor front patio. I was able to order some veggie falafel and fries from their food window inside, and it hit the spot. This place isn't trying too hard, but could easily relax here, hang with friends, get some work done, or play their inside games - checks all the boxes. read more

Waited over 30 minutes in a mostly empty bar to order drinks while the bartenders took shots and ignored us. Walked to the other end of the bar where they were and asked them for drinks and the dude freaked out on me. Told us we "didn't know what they had been through today" and called me rude for asking if he was a bartender or bar back when I tried to order drinks. This place sucks. read more

We hosted our company Holiday party here and the crew was fantastic. Cody the GM took care of everything possible: The food was delicious The bartending services and drinks were wonderful The atmosphere was awesome. Especially for the holidays. They allowed us to do trivia, brought in a photo booth, and allowed us the customize the evening to our event. People didn't want to leave!! The bartending crew was quick, kind, and of course made delicious drinks. What more can you ask for? Great food, delicious drinks, fantastic people. Thanks again! read more

Visiting Holiday Spirits was most definitely not a holiday for me. I went on a Sunday night when the bar was slow, so I was expecting to just chill back and take in the space...and the space definitely needs to be taken in. The whole concept of the bar is confusing and has no real feel to it. The logo is brightly colored with a toucan but the space does nothing to reflect a "holiday" bar. Not even a dive bar, as it's advertised. There's a strange, huge Oklahoma sign with moss hanging from it. When asking the barbacks what the story was behind it, my group was essentially told it was big and filled up space. There are a few, retro neons with more greenery but it seems strangely out of place amongst the old pictures of people and creepy old toys and baby dolls hanging at the bar. Overall, the space feels like it has no personality and random things were thrown all over the place. The bar was another debacle. I get that Holiday is new, but they have a ton of errors and kinks to work out. When we tried to order drinks, especially the house cocktails, our bartender pretty much told us that they didn't have half of the liquor. Or beer. How does a bar run out of High Life? Yikes. Anyways, I proceeded to get the Cinnabon cocktail and waited...and waited. I couldn't imagine how long it would take to get a drink on a busy Friday night. I finally got my cocktail, and wished I didn't. Usually I don't ever send back drinks but between my partner and I the tastes we got from the Cinnabon cocktail were "plastic" and "chlorine". We thought maybe something was off so we asked the bartender to get something else. That's when things got even stranger. The bartender was pushy and asked what was wrong. When my partner explained the bad taste he literally took out a straw to take a taste of the drink. What...why? I'm a firm believer of the customer is always right, even if it is frustrating. Believe me, I wanted to like this cocktail and not send it back. After haggling with the bartender he said he would check with his manager if he could give us another drink. Another sour taste left in my mouth by Holiday. Finally we did manage to get another cocktail which was better, but switched to drinking canned beers after. My party did stay and play some pool which was enjoyable and ordered fries from the in-house food, Forty Thieves, which were delicious. I really hope that Holiday can work out their opening fumbles and create some sort of cohesive environment for people to enjoy, but I probably won't be back soon. read more

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Holiday Spirits is a new and fun dive bar at the corner of Race & Liberty. If you know this part of OTR, you might be surprised that they picked a location a bit removed from the core of where people spend time in OTR on the weekends today, largely around Vine / Main and then up north by Findlay Market and Rhinegeist. Holiday is about halfway between those two and a block north of Taft's. I think they've figured out the perfect location to bridge the gap between NorLib and SoLib. Speaking of OTR's expanding core, you should also check out the recent bars and restaurants on Court St just south of OTR proper if you haven't already. Holiday Spirits has pretty much everything you would want in a neighborhood bar figured out from the start. It's nice that the owners are seasoned in OTR already running favorites like Senate, Pontiac, and Abigail Street. They've got a good variety of cocktails and beer (draft and can) reasonably priced. The Mediterranean food from neighboring restaurant Forty Thieves (see separate review) is quite tasty, fast, and convenient with a window to order inside, and is also run by the same owners. Entertainment like skee ball, darts, and pool tables are available. The number of bars with pool tables in OTR is pretty small so I'm especially excited for that part. Everything was operating smoothly and service was very quick -- some of the best in OTR without a doubt. Looking forward to future visits here! read more

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The Forty Thieves/Holiday Spirits combo can be a little confusing. I guess Forty Thieves is actually just limited to the food window, and Holiday Spirits owns all the interior space. We ordered drinks at the bar first and then made our way up to the food window. We were mostly here to grab a bite to eat, so my husband I just shared the Curious George Cocktail. Very unique. I would definitely come back! read more

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Mikey's late night is always good to soak up the many drinks you can get at the bar. It's a chill, no stress atmosphere where you can have fun completely by yourself or with a big group of friends read more

Holiday Spirits is Fun. I'd give this place that. Right in OTR, this place is at Race St, which is kinda away from the hustle and bustle of Walnut and Vine. I went on a Sunday, so this place hardly had anyone in. The place is decently sized, with a good bar area, couple booths, and some games on the other side. The decor, however, feels like a fusion of random things. There's a pink colored couch, and a hoarding saying "My diet starts tomorrow". I don't get why it's within the same space. They have a couple specialty cocktails, and a few beers on tap. My friend got a cocktail 'Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica.' containing gin and prosecco. I wanted a vodka fresca. But, they didn't have fresca, so I got the vodka tonic. The vodka tonic was good, though it had more tonic and ice, than vodka. The cocktail was interesting and refreshing. The clove after-taste very present. Service was alright. We were promptly tended to, and handed drinks quick. The price point was pretty average per OTR standards too. read more

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I came here during the 2019 Opening Day parade - it was airy, lively and fun! Holiday Spirits occupies a trendy space at the corner of Race & Liberty that was in sore need of some love. It's half historic remodel/ bar and half "game room" -- with a pool table, skee ball, darts. I loved the exposed brick and open feel of the older section (didn't love the laminate bar top, though), for me the new section looked a bit unfinished, the walls are still cinder block and there's not much going on. I can tell Holiday Spirits is one of those places that gets better after some time, so I will be checking back! read more

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Katie is my favorite bartender. Always a positive space with and without my kid. Love the games. Haven't tried the food but always see people there. Reasonably priced drinks. read more

Great new little bar with food on the far edge of the developed section of OTR. We arrived later on in the evening with a party of 6 and were waited on immediately. I got the frozen hurricane which was delicious... not too sweet and just the right amount of alcohol. We were able to order food from the adjacent food window (forty thieves) and that was ready very quickly. We posted up outside on the patio as it was a nice night. The vibe and atmosphere here is great. It is super casual and relaxed, although I don't think id go as far to say it is the dive bar they were going for, thats not a bad thing. You cant "create" a dive bar, it just is. There is skee ball (although not cheap to play) and several other games. Plenty of space to sit on couches, near the games, at the bar, or the generous outdoor patio. We will definitely be back, this place is worth venturing a little further out for. read more

Holiday Spirits - Frozen hurricane and drink menu - Pool Halls Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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The place is cool but seriously what bar in the world uses a jukebox that is NOT TouchTunes. Yes, I'm giving it two stars because of their jukebox vendor. It's a decent place, but being trapped by their crappy jukebox vendor ruins the vibe here. read more

Holiday Spirits - Pool Halls Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

How dare you use the Senate's name and menu items in any way, shape or form. The OG (original) Senate was awesome, creative and used quality ingredients. The food here is absolutely wack. Poor quality hotdogs and dry fries that hardly have a truffle taste. Not good! read more

I love this place. Dive bar type of feel with range of crowds which is fun. Very laid back-- ski ball and pool available. Not five stars because limited space to sit, but that also has its own charm to it if it's what you're looking for. They also had halal food available! Didn't try, but would love to go back and do so. read more

Holiday Spirits - Pool Halls Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

This is one of my favorite bar sin the OTR area. it has everything you could want in a bar, drinks, great beer selection, pool tables, video games, a food window, and skee ball! Even though the skee ball machine cost $1 per play, but well worth the money when your hanging with friends and enjoying some bevies. I recommending coming in here and enjoying one of their specialty cocktails and play some games read more

Great beer selection and atmosphere! Love that i can bring my kids and they can play skee ball! It's a great stop on our way from Findlay Market! The Forty thieves food window has delicious food!! We highly recommend! read more

Holiday Spirits - Forty thieves food/ipas - Pool Halls Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Firstly let me say it was an absolute surprise that this place even existed! I drove past on Liberty Ave and saw a bunch of ppl sitting outside on the patio and I was very intrigued. I finally had the chance to go in there the other night and I love it! I always frequent the bars on Main, so this was definitely a change of pace. The bartender Adrienne was so nice!! She was super friendly and just as bubbly as you want to be! I watched her literally have genuine conversations with the ppl sitting at the bar, that went beyond the normal placating niceties, and honestly that was so refreshing to see. I'll definitely drag myself away from Main to go to Holiday and see Adrienne, plus I haven't had their food! You'll see me again for sure! read more

Insanely good and very inventive cocktails( be patient, they're worth the wait. I promise.) at reasonable prices. The vibe is crazy cute, pretty open with fun things to do- skeeball, an arcade golf machine, darts, two pool tables. We came opening might and they had run out of food, so we came back the next day and I'm glad we did. Very tasty shawarma and pita, and I have some serious standards for hummus which they met easily. Very chill vibe- I'm excited to see where this place goes. read more

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Stopped during their opening week. It was busy but food was kind of plain. I understand they have some stuff to iron out like all business that just open. I'm going to come back and give it another shot. Plus side though. Drinks was crafty and good. read more

It's my second time here and while it is farther away from other OTR places I think it is a quaint spot. The place is newish, I believe, but v cute. They have a nice selection of cocktails and sometimes change them too, so always have to come back for new things. Our bartender was still training so it was fun to get to know her and learn a bit about the drinks. My friend and I got the tequila old fashioned and the plum crazy. I love tequila so I was hoping to love the tequila cocktail but I did not like it at all!! The bartender and the manager (I assume) was kind enough to get us another drink at no charge. The plum crazy cocktail, though, was delish!! This time around I noticed they had food in the back! It looks to be another company, Forty Thieves, that is in charge of the food, but connected to the bar. Regardless, they have beef shawarma, falafels, and grilled chicken. We had the falafel and za'atar fries and both were so SO so good!! They have games in the back for those who want to play pool, skee ball, and some other arcade games. It fits well in their aesthetic. read more

So my friend made this a go-to stop on our trip. I ordered a drink that was essentially an alcohol rainbow sherbert and it was FABULOUS!!! I loved it. I was gonna switch it up and get a different drink for the second but couldnt not have the rainbow sherbert!! But let me rave about their bourbon selection. They have a pappy and orphan barrels. That's something amazing. We dont get that up in Cleveland often!!! Plus there is a cool Zoltar machine and I've always loved those fortunes!!! Stop in. Play games, get your fortune, get a fun drink. Try Forty theives!! Great!!! read more

Great new bar in Over the Rhine. The service with Thomas and Erica behind the bar is top notch and friendly. Nice mix of cocktails and a large draft selection. It was great to be able to get a delicious frozen hurricane and a glass of KBS on tap. This will definitely be one of my new go to local spots. As for the space itself, it really is a killer bar setup. The bar is long and accessible from two sides making it easy to order a drink even when it's busy. The place has a nice mix of bar seating, lounge area, a few booths, and some high top seating along the walls by the pool tables and TVs. read more

Great addition to the OTR area! Love the concept of brining back a "dive bar" into modern day. The outside patio area is great and gives off tropical vibes, while the inside area is more relaxed with games to play. I love all the tropical drinks they have to offer. They also have a new Mediterranean restaurant that opened next door and food can be bought from within Holiday. Cute place to check out! read more

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Bar tender with the long hair was extremely rude to my sister and I. We did not ask for a charger but one was one so I plugged in her phone. He came and ripped it out and went off on us for 5 minutes about how it was so rude to use something without asking. Dude. You are a bar. Someone will need to charge their phone. Especially if it's not in use. Get over yourself. read more

First time here and the service/ drinks are incredible! Dan was our bartender and we had asked for a drink with rum and he made the best concoction! Definitely stop in here. read more

I come here on my 15-30 minute breaks when I'm working a double over at Taft's. I asked my coworkers the quickest place to get some good food, was told Holiday, and I've never bothered with anywhere else since. The bartenders are amazing, the specialty cocktails are unique, and I'm able to slam a drink while I wait for my falafel to come out which only ever takes a few minutes. Would definitely come here on my day off for the hummus. If I could give 6 stars I would. read more

Decent draft selection and reasonable prices. They also have a couple pool tables and other games to play. Cool concept.

We hosted our office holiday party here and it was AMAZING! The space is the perfect size to accommadate big groups but still feels cozy, the games were so fun and kept everyone entertained, and the bartending staff was fantastic. They also catered our event and the food was delicious. Absolutely zero complaints, and I can't wait to stop in again! read more

I love this bar. Its vibe is different in a very good way. Bartenders are cool and attentive. Forty Thieves food is excellent. Great customer service all around. read more