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    MOTR Pub

    4.1 (216 reviews)
    ModeratePubs
    Closed 6:00 pm - 2:00 am (Next day)

    MOTR Pub Photos

    MOTR PUB ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Live music
    Hipster
    Casual
    Moderate noise

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    Recommended Reviews - MOTR Pub

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    Great food, great friends
    Leah S.

    I've done it. I've found the tastiest meal in Cincinnati. I know that is a bold statement when Skyline exists but I am not even exaggerating when I say that this is hands down the most soul fulfilling meal you can find. Idk food like this might seem very simple to some people but to me it just makes me feel cozy and comforted. It's just some reliable food. You can't go wrong. I have been twice and had the vegan TLT both times. Fries are amazing. I love the food here so much and there is even a nice patio in the back.

    Greek salad with tofu, veganized (without feta)
    Marie K.

    MOTR is a great place for cheaper eats and drinks OTR, at least around happy hour. I ordered the Greek salad with tofu added (veganized without feta). The salad was good, but the tofu was phenomenal. It tasted kind of like bacon, so I would imagine it is the tofu they use for the BLT. I am definitely going back soon.

    Bloody Mary
    Kimberly M.

    I visited to MOTR Pub with a friend for brunch. We chose to sit at the bar and received excellent service there. I ordered a bloody Mary and he ordered a mimosa. Both of our cocktails were great but the brunch was the real star! I ordered the trucker's breakfast casserole and it was tasty. However, he ordered the biscuits and gravy which were outstanding! The sausage and chorizo gravy was something unexpected and amazing! I had immediate order envy. (I know what I'm getting next time!) The loaded tater tots also look really great...I'm eyeing those for my next trip too...so I'm obviously returning.

    Tater tots
    Julie W.

    Great place for live music and pub food. Went on a Saturday evening for dinner, drinks and live music. The food and drinks were good and the prices very reasonable, and there was no cover charge.

    Sandra F.

    My husband and I came on a Friday night. So far a great impression. We just came for drinks and really loved the mood of this place. It's open and has awesome décor. I got the house cabernet and my husband got an IPA-$10.00 for both drinks. Not bad. The bartender waited on us right away. She was very friendly and helpful. After our drinks, we walked around the bar and noticed a downstairs full of pin ball machines. I was in heaven!!! I am definitely coming back because this place has so much to offer. The serve food (which I heard was good). I love the fact MOTR Pub supports local bands so I will be dropping by to check that out. All around a great laid back bar to have drinks with friends. LOVE it here.

    Chorizo and biscuits
    Emily H.

    Considering my 20s are behind me, I hadn't really expected to be in a pub at 11 a.m. on a Sunday. But happily I can report that I wasn't there because I hadn't left from the night before. I was there for a happily-awake-and-ready-for-the-day brunch. And MOTR Pub definitely made that happen. Looking around this Over-the-Rhine music venue/watering hole/eatery, though, it occurred to me that the nights of parties past hung in the air. Concert and event posters look down on customers from the spot's tall walls. And if I recall, we had to go to the bar to order our food. The dim interior and high-top tables definitely make it feel more like a bar than a restaurant. And this juxtaposition made the whole experience seem just a bit more memorable. But enough about the atmosphere. Let's talk food. I ordered the biscuits and gravy, which is made with sausage and chorizo gravy and includes a fried egg. Biscuits and gravy have grown on me more over the last year, and this dish definitely didn't disappoint. The sausage and gravy had just enough punch to it, and the gravy was delightful when I sopped some of it up with a forkful of biscuit. It was also an adequate portion to fill me up but not leave me over-stuffed for the day ahead. I also tried the bloody mary after hearing that MOTR is a bit known for it. I read elsewhere that MOTR includes beer in its bloody mary. I did not watch them make this, and forgot to ask, but if that's true, that may explain why this bloody mary has a bit more complexity to it. It had a bite to it, like you'd want it to, and wasn't overloaded with watery, tomato juice (as I've noticed with others). It was good. I've had a few that were better, but this was definitely more than adequate. MOTR is the type of spot that every urban, trendy area should have, that place that you can stumble to for a bite (or a beer or music) as well as take guests to -- either way no judgment from the employees or fellow customers. I'm looking forward to returning on a return visit to OTR!

    Avengers (average), Star Trek (awesome), Metallica (epic), and KISS (whatever...) pinball machines.
    Darrell S.

    We started with Loaded Fries (fresh fried fries, bacon, cheese, chives, diced tomato, and sour cream). Definitely shareable. We also shared a pretzel with beer cheese. While it was good, the firm/solid beer cheese was a bit different than I've had in the past with liquid varieties. I had the MOTR Burger - angus beef topped with beer-battered onion rings, lettuce, ripe tomato, (extra) pickles & chipotle mayo on a toasted brioche bun. For $ .75 I added bleu cheese and blackened seasoning. Delicious! My only criticism of the burger was that it was well done, and none of us were asked for a temperature preference. I didn't realize it included fries and was fried out from the Loaded Fries, but a buddy let me try a few of his tater tots and they were crispy and delicious. They also had a big selection of local and national beers. Drafts are half price during happy hour, dirt cheap! There are four pinball machines are downstairs - Avengers (average), Star Trek (awesome), Metallica (awesome!), and KISS (way below average). There's also a combo Galaga/Ms. Pac-Man upright arcade video game. Bar and busing service was solid.

    Burger
    Michael C.

    I wasn't sure what to expect but I really enjoyed the food here. I was hung over from my B-Day celebration and stumbled in past the cigarette smokers out front. It was dark and dank but had a really cool vibe and cool art everywhere. I ordered a BLT and a burger and smashed them both! My son loved the tater tots which was surprising seeing as how he hasn't eaten them in years. I ordered 3 beers to help sober up and an old fashioned LOL (Dad of the Year)! It was a really chilled out environment and the bartender was cool. I saw a stage so I assume they have live bands but there was no band when I was there. Didn't seem like my type of scene but I was too hung over to care. All I had was burger on the mind and MOTR exceeded all expectations! Not so humbly submitted, Michael C.

    The tiny hobbit door in the basement.
    Luke P.

    MOTR is the mostly undisputed leader in the free concert venue scene of Cincinnati. It's a music bar first and foremost. No other place has consistently excellent national shows for free. The reasonably-priced draft selection includes the best IPA in the world, Bell's Two-Hearted ($6), so that's a win. They even have solid food until 11pm! The dark wood and high ceilings make for a cozy ambience. The patio is spacious and charming. Local artists adorn the walls on a rotating basis which makes for an interesting, variable aesthetic. Other than being a little pretentious on certain excessively hipster nights and a slightly awkward stage location that creates a bar traffic jam, it's ideal. MOTR is the only place I know with five bars of cell coverage in the basement. Strange and wonderful. It's like the building is a satellite dish.

    Portabella Sammy in the front, MOTR burger in the back
    Jessi C.

    I really really love the vibe in MOTR. This is a really relaxed local dive that feels like the neighborhood hangout on Main St. I came here on a Thursday night for dinner, and was pleasantly surprised to see that they had live music that night. I took a look at their schedule and it looks like they have live music almost every night of the week, so if you're looking to grab a beer, some good bar food, and just hang out and listen to music, this is your place to go! You have to order at the bar and seat yourself. My husband got the MOTR Burger with cheese ($9.25) and I got the Portabella Sammy ($8.75). The portabella sammy was really delicious...I loved that it was topped with roasted red pepper and feta. My only complaint is that my portabella was a little small for the bun it was served on, so I was left with half of my bread when I finished it. The MOTR Burger on the other hand was HUGE. The patty was very peppery and the meat kind of overpowered the toppings because it was so big, which is a shame because I wanted to taste more of that jumbo onion ring and chipotle aioli. Both sandwiches came with fries which were delicious, and overall I felt the food was a good portion for the price. When you come here, don't forget to check out downstairs! I loved the pinball machines in the basement and the tiny bar under the stairs. I'll definitely be coming back to MOTR for beer and bar food. Next time I'll try that famed mac n cheese and/or Sunday Brunch!

    Galaga!
    Cindy G.

    Yes, this just happened. I started my last review by saying, "Just when I thought I couldn't love MOTR anymore..." And I am going to start this update with the same quote because for some reason this place keeps surprising me!! Just then I thought I couldn't love MOTR anymore...I find out that their brunch is ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL! Let me start by saying I am very critical when it comes to food. This food was not fancy by any means but it had all the right elements in what I consider a great dish. I had the biscuits and gravy. This is not your ordinary gravy. It has chorizo added into the traditional gravy style. What's funny when you bite into it is, it has layers of flavor. This is how you know it is composed correctly, when you can taste every layer of flavor and every thing on the plate is intentional. No weird inedible garnish, and nothing slopped on at the end because you "needed something." THE PRESENTATION- I was totally surprised by the presentation. You hear biscuits and gravy and expect a heaping portion of overflowing gravy mess with some running over the edges. Instead, it was a wonderfully balanced (not to big in proportion) colorful, clean, and creative plate. I don't know if I can do the flavors of this dish justice but I am going to try. THE BISCUITS- light and fluffy. They were not dry or crumbly. They stood up to the thickness of the gravy and did not get soggy even up until the last bite. THE GRAVY- it was inventive. It had the perfect balance of spice. It had the perfect amount of salt. I almost always need to up the seasoning, this needed nothing. I keep saying this but who the hell is cooking back there because I am so surprised at this dish. The gravy was not from a vat that had been sitting all morning. We ate at 2:00 and it still came out piping hot and full of freshness and flavor. THE EGG- The poached egg on top was a huge win. If it were not on the plate, it wouldn't have been a deal breaker but since it was it just elevated it to another level. As I cut my fork through the egg, to the biscuit and swirled it in the gravy the perfectly poached egg ran through the bite like butter. It was magical. THE GARNISH- fresh chives. Oh. Dear. Gawwwwd. The aroma of fresh chives on top of this pile of deliciousness was just adding to the perfection of the layers of flavor. Fresh garden tomatoes sprinkled on top also added a sweetness to the dish. The TOTAL PUNCH- Sweet, savory, spicy, fragrant, comfort food. And if I didn't say before. The texture of all the elements on the plate were working together in perfect harmony. The fluffy biscuits, the crunchy chives, the chunky gravy, the smooth egg, all together just sang!! If this doesn't say something about this place I don't know what does. A hugely underrated establishment. Do not underestimate MOTR as a brunch contender in this city. Because let me tell you, I have worked my way around the brunch scene and nothing compares to what I had in front of me this morning.

    Mushroom burger

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    2 years ago

    Not good. Whoever runs this place needs a reality check. Sound quality bad, drinks sub par, generally poor management.

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    3 years ago

    Great brunch, good music, tasty food without the wait. Check out all the shows they bring to Otr. Get the Bloody Mary!

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    Best bartenders with best GLT in the world! Hands down.

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    Page 1 of 6

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    Review Highlights - MOTR Pub

    Plenty of space, can eat in the bar area, at the bar, seating in the back, in the basement, and outdoor patio.

    Mentioned in 27 reviews

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    Molly Malone's Irish Pub & Restaurant

    Molly Malone's Irish Pub & Restaurant

    4.0
    (335 reviews)
    1.6 mi
    $$

    We love going to Mollys!! One of the best places for Saint patrick's day, watching the soccer…read morematches, and Gaelic or rugby! A great spot just across the river from downtown Cincy, we often start here before walking across the bridge for an event or game. True Irish pub with all your Irish favorites on tap and you can rent out the upstairs space for events. The food is delicious and the service is always amazing and super kind people. Can't recommend Mollys enough if you are looking for a great place to hangout with friends and watch a game or two.

    I was. . .underwhelmed…read more The food was decent, the decor was nice, but the service was profoundly lacking. I was here a couple of weeks ago, in town on work, and coming in for lunch because this place was within working distance of the office I was visiting. I love Irish bars, and regularly go to the one nearest me, so I was hoping for a good experience. As I said, the ambiance and decor was at least pretty good, and the food I had was a mushroom Swiss burger which was okay but not exceptional. The problem was the really bad service. I was there at midday for lunch, there were a couple of folks drinking at the bar, and one other table of people seated at around the same time I was. They took more than 5 minutes to simply come and take my drink order. . .and the server had an attitude when I let him know I wasn't there to drink beer. He started by rattling off beer options, and when I asked what soft drinks they had, he told me the soft drinks they had. . .then, dripping with sarcasm, he says "or we could fix you a Shirley Temple" with a really nasty attitude. I ordered my beverage, and when he came back almost 10 minutes later (!) with my drink, I place my food order, which he takes without comment. My food takes over 30 minutes to come out, and he never came back once to check on me, refill my drink or generally do anything. Once I politely asked him about soft drinks, making it clear I wasn't there for beer, it's like he checked out of thinking he had to deal with me. Things were slow before then, but got worse after that. It's not like the place was crowded and he had a lot of tables to deal with. He brought the check back, and he was actually prompt in taking my money for the check. I left, and pretty much had used up my entire lunch hour despite only being right across the street from my office the whole time.

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    Molly Malone's Irish Pub & Restaurant
    Molly Malone's Irish Pub & Restaurant
    Molly Malone's Irish Pub & Restaurant

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    MOTR Pub - pubs - Updated June 2026

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