Super divey, super friendly, and in a super hip neighborhood. They were having a special on the tacos that night, and though I'm not the first one to jump at the opportunity to taco, the Vegan Tacos caught my eye. Lentils, pickled red onion, red cabbage, corn and salsa verde for the win! I love that they put a *successful* spin on a Mexican classic. I was not disappointed - they were tasty, indeed! Life hack: Margaritas are vegan. Don't be afraid to pair one with the 3 for $11 special! lol read more

Amazing Tacos! You ever go to a place and wonder how you haven't heard of it before? This is it. Amazing tacos, every one of them. We tried 6 different ones and each was tasty and individual. Overall a great scene. Cash only and tables are first come first serve. But the food is amazing and they have a great selection of beers on tap and in bottles. read more

The best hipster tacos around. Street corn is a must and don't forget the salsas. Shocking good tap list as well. If there is nothing you like grab a drink. Cash only! read more

I love the Ohio. It's the kind of hellhole where you can watch a prostitute sing "like a virgin" on karaoke night, and see old dudes in satin jackets with bar logos on them get in fights. Classy. read more

This place is not a "let's start a pub crawl here because it's kind of cool" townie bar, it's a "this is so depressing that I want to leave" townie bar. Proceed at your own risk... read more

Ah, yes. The site of where one of my profile pictures was taken. I could not resist the allure of a bar that had a giant neon "Drink Blatz" sign hanging above the door. I am, after all, a Wisconsin girl. The boy and I went on some random weekday night in the winter. It was a very large, divey, unattractive hole-in-the-wall as you would correctly surmise from the Blatz sign. Fortunately, I love townie dive bars, and therefore, was comfortable with this. We each ordered a beer on tap from the nice, older lady who was bartending, (PBR and Leinie's, if I remember correctly) and paid something like $3 total. Sexy. Very sexy. As we drank our beers, we decided to arm wrestle. The bartender was going outside for a smoke and cheered me on. My back was to her, but my boyfriend told me that she mouthed the words "Let her win" to him. Haha! She came back later to see if I'd won or not. :) I need to go back post haste! read more

Stopped in yesterday, first visit. Enjoyed a Tallgrass Key Lime Pie Sour Blonde on tap. Tasty and tart. Wished it had been 4pm so we could try out the tacos, the menu looked outstanding. Loved the open window overlooking the street. Perfect place to spend some time. Nice bartender, too. Check it out. read more

Ohio Tavern - Tallgrass Key Lime Pie Sour Blonde - Dive Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Ohio Tavern is a true gem! Their happy hour features $3 tacos that are to die for and don't get me started on the corn! It comes in a bowl all loaded up with goodness. I got the Kona corn and P.B.R taco. Their whole menu is gluten free and SO GOOD! I would argue their tacos are the best bang for your buck in Madison! We'll be back! read more

I bring all my friends from out of town here. The best tacos around town. Highly recommend this place.

Went there on Saturday night not realizing there is karaoke ever Saturday at 8. The singing​ was good but pretty loud. The tacos are very good and cheap at 3 for $11 and there is an amazing select of hot sauces. read more

Ohio Tavern - Dive Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Oh my gosh this place is great. The bartender is so sweet and remembered my friends' names when they walked in. The pbr was cheap, delicious, and cold. Exactly the type of bar I want to sit and have a beer and make friends with at. read more

Second best tacos in Madison after canteen. Limited selection, but they do it all good. Their claim to fame is their selection of eclectic sauces, which include plantain poblano, three pepper among other ones. Mind you they only have tacos, and of you're interested in the local karaoke scene, this tavern might surprise you with how many good singers seem to love in this quaint neighborhood. read more

See all

Good tacos- awful service. I suppose if you KNOW you will be waiting forever then it's probably 5/5. I am just super disappointed that expectations weren't set by the server letting me know how long I'd be waiting. read more

How fun is this place?! I would have missed it and likely never would have stopped if a friend hadn't recommended it to me. It's definitely a hipster bar that tends to be jam packed, even during the week. They have a great taco menu but no table service. You have to order from the bar and they only accept cash! I can't believe how much food they can crank out from the tiny little "kitchen" they have. I look forward to heading back for more taco Tuesdays! read more

Tacos were so good!! We also got a corn bowl! The pricing is also really fair, 3/$11! We got the old boy and the pbr! Totally worth it!

Four dollars for a street taco? Ha ha.. ha.. ha! Would have been nice if they spruced up the place when they remodeled, but they cheaped out. Pallets for decoration on the walls? Same nasty bathrooms (which are now unisex, so they are probably nastier with men going in both). Don't know how it's possible, but it's darker than it was before, which makes reading their horribly lettered beer menus difficult. The bartenders are incredibly unfriendly. Don't know how they are making it. They've got a lot of people duped! read more

Guy at the window was rude. If I am going to overpay to support a local business I will gladly do it somewhere else.

I used to love this place, now I just really like it. Upscale rehab brought all the hipsters to the bar. They serve up sweet ass Tacos, drink prices are a little steep. Biggest complaint is how busy it always is now, congrats to owners. read more

Some of the best tacos in town. Order at the counter and pay. It's usually busy so don't expect a table right away. I always get the Lenny Special and the Street Corn sans bacon. I love the variety of sauces they have on the table. Cash only. read more

The absolute BEST place for tacos, drinks, corn and late night food. I've never had a bad taco and always enjoy this place whether it's 6pm or 11pm. You guys rock!!!! Also make sure to have a PBR taco. read more

I really wanted to love the Ohio Tavern - heard a lot about how good the tacos are. But frankly, I've had much better tacos...pretty much everywhere else. And for half the price. I had the classic carnitas. $4 is steep for a taco with very little filling. I like my carnitas to have crispy bits; this was just like moist cooked pork. And the taco simply didn't have a lot of flavor, even with he addition of several of the bottles sauces provided. I did enjoy the house street corn, which included crispy pieces of bacon. Service was pretty slow and the space is loud. I wish they had outdoor seating. I will give the Ohio another chance, and try some different taco versions. read more

The food is good but it's not a very welcoming place considering you can here the workers talking really badly about their customers

The street corn and islander taco is the best I've had in a long time, I want to write a horrible review so that this stays Ohio avenues best kept secret! Keep it up! read more

Great neighborhood bar! They always have a solid beer selection. I tried their sweet corn for the first time. This was a great little snack. The sauce & fresh veggies they add are great. The corn itself comes off the cob, in a bowl. So there's no mess or corn stuck in your teeth after. I'd highly recommend. read more

I visited the newly reopened Ohio Tavern for happy hour after work on Friday. The bar has recently undergone a remodel, and the owners did a great job of keeping the old charm (jukebox, back bar, tile inlay) while spiffing the place up. They have a limited menu - tacos and street corn - but the food is delish. I read that they partnered with the team from Underground Butcher on the menu, and the ingredients were certainly fresh. One taco is $3.50 and is generously stuffed. Our tacos were accompanied with what else but a well muddled Old Fashioned. Bartenders were friendly and service was prompt. The crowd grew steadily while we were there, and by the time we left around 6, all the tables and barstool last were occupied. I will definitely return as this place is a nice compliment to other great bars in the neighborhood. read more

Ohio Tavern - Ohio Tavern exterior - Dive Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Tacos good. Corn not good. Only take cash, no cards. Friendly staff. Karaoke staff are nice, but you must be a local and regular to sing. If not, prepare to wait. Tipped the karaoke hostess generously, waited an hour, still had not been called to sing although many of the happy drunks slurred MULTIPLE songs each, just because they were a regular. Visiting a family member, we are from out of state, ended up tipping and waiting for no good reason. Never was called after waiting over an hour, watching the same people over and over again, so we left. read more

I've heard Toto's Africa twice in an hour. Decent tacos but this injustice shall not stand. read more

The bar itself is ok, cheap drinks and that kind of townie atmosphere that you need sometimes when you feel down on your luck. Plus singing karaoke with an Elvis impressionist makes for an impressive, different kind of evening! (He doens't do 60's Elvis by the way) The large Blatz sign out front is their calling card and the drink is always cold. So prepare for your hangover tomorrow, cause for $20 you'll get tore up! read more

The tacos here are absolutely amazing! Some of the best in Madison. My favorite would have to be the Traveling Matt. Great flavor with a good kick. The Scorcher is delicious too, if you like spicy. Atmosphere has a great Madison dive bar vibe and the staff is very friendly too. The place is a nice hidden gem. read more

The best tacos in Madison, hands down. Love love love this place! Excellent variety, good beer and cocktails! I recommend to all my friends, good people, good vibes. read more

I love coming to this place and introducing new people. Just today I brought in two first-timers to try out the Street Tacos. The variety is great and the tacos are just the best. Get there early or expect a small wait but don't leave without eating. read more

It's hard to complain about my visit - we got the best seat in the house on a sunny day and their taco special was delicious! We just stopped for a second for a taco and a cocktail - I think pretty much every taco was $4 a pop and it's a cash bar - major upgrade from the Ohio when I lived in the area. I would highly recommend! read more

Ohio Tavern will forever hold a special place inside my evil blackened heart. Truly an establishement that only few can appreciate. I was casually seeing a Madison townie dude back in 2007 or 08 (before my life went to shit) and asked him to take me to the most disgusting dive bar in town. This is where he took me, and I was NOT disappointed in the least. NO, dare I say it... I was IMPRESSED. If you are into freak watching, creeps, weirdos, midgets and dudes mumble-singing chris issac's "wicked games" on karaoke night, drug addicts, fat women bartenders with neck tattoos, etc... this is your spot. The drinks were nothing memorable. Sure there is BLATZ. I guess you can't go wrong. I haven't been here in years, so I suspect hipsters have infiltrated and ruined this place (just like Paradise Lounge). Ah yes, the ghost bar. I had a lot of good times inside their darkened, disgusting, scummy walls. Maybe I'll come back one day. Sniff. read more

Amazing low key bar. Cash only but they have an ATM. Got an assortment of tacos. Two chicken and one carnitas::::amazing. Go get tacos now from them!!! read more

What's not to love? Great atmosphere, awesome beer selection and some of the most delicious, unique tacos you'll find in Madison. A great place to have a fun, laid back night. I like to get the 3 tacos for $11 and try 3 different ones; even better if you are going with a group and you can try every one on the menu (although I'm sure the kitchen staff don't love that, sorry! I'll make sure to tip well!). So if you haven't checked this place out yet, what are you waiting for! read more

Bulldoze this place! It's filthy...don't sit on anything. Terrible service. Actually no service. We left after 20 minutes without so much as a glance from the staff. It was nearly empty...easy to see why. 1. Dead 2. Over priced drinks 3. Disgusting bathrooms 4. The pool table is devoid of basic pool etiquette 5. Disappointing deals considering Madison is a college town 6. Bartenders are rude 7. This place is just dirty. Their so called "Wing" night....what a joke for .25 you get small wings that look like the chicken were diseased and on their death bed or they might just be baby rats. read more

Relaxed atmosphere. The menu was not overwhelming. Very good tacos. Good prices as well as beer selection.

Very good vegetarian tacos, though a little less so now that they have gotten rid of the mushroom one. Also great Mexican street corn (served more as a casserole, not on the cob). Loud, dive-y environment. Will do take out. Solid neighborhood joint. read more

This is what a bar looks like when a hipster hangout and a dive bar have a baby. I liked the ambience and the beer selection. I noticed they had a really limited menu full of mostly tacos, so I took advantage of the happy hour special and had 3 different soft shell tacos. Each had a distinct, pleasant flavor but were dry. I think they do that on purpose so that you try out their 8 proprietary sauces. The sauces make the tacos taste like tacos. Not authentic Mexican food, but good. The bartender was very friendly. There are no waitstaff and you have to place all your orders at the bar. It is a perfect place for the lumbersexual, Prius-driving set. I will be sure to wear my beanie and my best buffalo plaid shirt when I go there next. read more

We used to go to the Ohio when it was the divey-est of dive bars. It's turned into a more upscale, hipster style joint (as much of the east side has...). The tacos are amazing, as is the corn. We went on a Friday night & it was PACKED. Not recommended if you hope to have any meaningful conversations. But, good food, trendy decor. read more