I've reviewed Ottawa Tavern before but several of my reviews disappeared. I like it. It's a good place to see a show because of of its size. They have a good atmosphere. I wish they had more canned beverage options but they do have drink specials and a good beer list. Just not what I drink in particular. I don't care for the current food menu as it's mostly fried food. Before they had the best fresh cut thick fries but are currently different. Staff is generally friendlyish. read more

Maaaaaan I wanted to love this place!!!! First visit ever for me. It's a Monday and I had high hopes. Jazz Night!! We were 2 of 3 people there. I hated to leave but they didn't open until 7, and we had not eaten yet. The food variety is just typical bar food. I wasn't enticed enough to risk it. Service - they really need someone that appreciates jazz to bring the right crowd in. This particular bartender seemed less than thrilled to be there. Ambiance - If they work on that, this place would be a gold mine on Mondays!!! Needs a loungy intimate setting. Small tables in front of the stage along with thick deep read curtains surrounding. We walked into a dead cold bar and odds are we will not be back. read more

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We saw this place on our way to a bar and wanted to check it out. We stepped in and realized it was a music venue too! We came in early enough to get in without cover, but the space is really nice and has pinball machines. I'll have to come back when they have a band on because I bet this place gets packed. Really cool spot! read more

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It's a good bar with decent bar food and a rotating offering of local musicians. They are packed on live music nights, but the wait to get a drink is never too long all things considered. I haven't eaten here in years, but as a music venue or a neighborhood watering hole I'm a fan. read more

The Ottawa Tavern - Burgers Near Me - Toledo, Ohio

This place is the best. Their food is tasty, decently priced, and they have a wide variety of tasty beverages. (It's "bar food" but damn good!) Service is always good too. And they host a lot of local and touring acts! Definitely one of my favorite places to see live music. There's also 2-4 cool pinball machines depending on if they're all working () Last time I was there, they all worked fine though. And they moved them into their own little neon-lit room which is nice. Oh, there's also a patio area which is cool if you need some fresh air or a smoke. 5/5 A++ will be there again soon. read more

5/5 Food 4.5/5 Service 4.5/5 Atmosphere/ Seating 4/5 Value 3.5/5 Cleanliness Stopped by on a Thursday for the first time because my bf was playing a show here and it did not disappoint. Traveling bands get a free meal so my bf and I both ordered while we waited around not expecting much. He ordered The Philly (a burger) and I ordered the Tijuana Dog (a hotdog), and we were both very happy with our meals. I got tots on the side and he got curly fries and everything was absolutely delicious. The Philly was my favorite of the two. Food came out fast, and there's plenty of bar seating and a couch area to sit and eat. The place is spacious and sound travels well. There are murals on the walls and pinball machines to play on while waiting in between sets. Even though it was only a Thursday the place was full of life and there were enough people to help the place feel full but not so much that you felt cramped. Great spot to check out if you're in the area! read more

The Ottawa Tavern - Full bar on a Thursday Night - Burgers Near Me - Toledo, Ohio

All about that boozie brunch! Their brunch menu cures all hangovers. I had the monte cristo made with French toast & served with some sweet potato fries. Loving the management and fun vibes. read more

The Ottawa Tavern - Breakfast burgers - Burgers Near Me - Toledo, Ohio

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Gotta love a place that has Chicken Chunks and dipping sauces! I was near the Art Museum and needed a quick place to get a bite with a friend. Ottawa Tavern fit the bill. Service was lovely, Chicken Chunks were little nuggets of deliciousness. Heard a band playing in the neighborhood. All in all, a fun place. 4 stars because interior was dark and drab. But food, service, and experience were awesome. read more

Last review I posted was a joke. This place has great food and great people. They usually have some sort of live music or something going on. As well as a pretty good size selection of cheap beer and drinks. OT has seen some different iterations over the years, but I think it's finally settled on a good one. read more

Yummy good, food yum yum yum. Hot staff, fun coasters, clean bathrooms. Delicious vegan and vegetarian options. read more

The Ottawa Tavern - Yummy good, food yum yum yum. Wouldn't miss it for the world. Hot staff too. - Burgers Near Me - Toledo, Ohio

I went here for "Pizza Kitten" located in the back behind the bar but I'm glad I had a chance to go! I heard about the place on Facebook and heard of their vegan options so I rushed to see what was the hype? It was pretty good! I had the Cauliflower Mushroom pizza & the crust was incredibly crispy and I liked it! I would definitely go here again but I hope they expand & find a place of their own! read more

The Ottawa Tavern - Burgers Near Me - Toledo, Ohio

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Delicious MontiCristo! I've had them with jelly or jam on the side but OT serves it with maple syrup!

At the risk of sounding bipolar, OT is back up to 5 stars on the strength of the cheese logs and jalapeño poppers alone. Of course, the southwest avocado burger was outstanding. MAYBE it's the best burger in Toledo. read more

Really glad we tried this place out the mushroom onion chicken chunks are 10/10 and so was our bartender Jessie :~)

This place has really turned around since new ownership. Great food, great staff, and GREAT beer!

The absolute best burger I've had in my 34 years of life!!!!! The drinks are on point!! The owners are amazing!!! Very personal. Come out and check them out!! You won't be disappointed. read more

The Ottawa Tavern - BEST BURGER I'VE HAD IN MY 34 YEARS OF LIFE!!! - Burgers Near Me - Toledo, Ohio

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The Ottawa Tavern has Toledo's best bar food. I would go so far as to say that they have Toledo's best burger. The offering is your standard bar fare with a few twists - everything I've eaten there thus far has been great. In addition to the burgers I would recommend the grilled cheese with your choice of 3 cheeses on Texas toast and the Portabella fries. Most nights the OT also features live music, always for free. The schedule is posted on their website. read more

The Ottawa Tavern - Burgers Near Me - Toledo, Ohio

The OT is my favorite bar in town. The staff is great and super knowledgeable about the menu and what's on tap. The food is absolutely delicious and the atmosphere makes it the perfect place to stop in for a drink downtown. read more

Love the food here. Socially distant and following the protocol. Great service and food was delicious! The fries are unbelievable, especially the curly fries. Hot, fresh food and great beer selection. read more

I decided to try this place and I am so glad I did! I got the sweet heat burger and chili cheese fries and both were awesome!! The sweet heat burger was perfectly cooked with a delicious grilled bun! The chili was home made with chunks of tomato and real beans. The cheese was flavorful queso. Yum! The place was open at 11 despite the yelp open time of 4. I'm so glad I tried this place! read more

The Ottawa Tavern (the ot) is a dive bar. This alone is not worth of a one star review because dive bars can be great places. This bar cycles through three different focus points, and fails at each when it tries each one. 1) Music venue. The shape of the room and location of the stage is awful. I've been in bands that have played here and attended many shows here and it's awful on both ends. 99% of the time everything is just too loud. The venue has had several different core groups of bands/people come and go and they have made it work because when it comes down to it, its a place to have a show. The owner has pushed away the most recent group of people that frequented the bar in favor of more "cutting edge" music and more larger acts. I hope he actually can find large touring bands that will play this awful stage. 2) Good beer/liquor. This place has a nice bar. The actual physical bar is nice and large. That's about where the good ends. The draft lines taste like they haven't been cleaned since they were installed. At one time they have a extensive craft bottle list, which was nice until they ran out, then it was sometimes a dice roll of what they had in stock. They never should have gotten rid of the 2/$3 12oz cans. 3) food. Again, this place is a dive bar. When the focus is on the food, it can be really really good. But this is usually short lasting due to the kitchen running out of product and never getting it back in. On the other end of the spectrum, when there is no care about the food, you can get a burger that is raw in the middle (I actually had this happen several times). All signs point to the owner not wanting to invest his own money into his bar, hoping that everything will somehow fix its self and just line his pockets and ears with more money. If money was invested into one of these things to make that one thing, it could be a great place. Due to recent events, that one thing should probably not be music, as the owner has alienated the core group of local bands and the room sounds awful and not much could fix that. read more

Say what you want about the OT, I love it. I consider it to be my "clubhouse", as do many Old West Enders and other adoring fans. It's nice to have a place to go where everyone knows you and the bartenders know what you like. I've taken to stopping in after work for a burger (just had the Hawaiian burger last week) and it's bloody awesome! Paul is doing a great job keeping the menu innovative. I appreciate that I can choose healthier options (like getting asparagus on the side rather than fries) if I'm in the mood. Tony, Matt, Mike, and Dan are constantly thinking of wonderful new cocktails to serve. Whether it's a Tom Collins, Negroni, or Pimm's Cup, I know that I can always get my fix! Ottawa Tavern has also hosted events for the organization I co-founded, Swap Toledo. Adam's a breeze to work with for making all the necessary arrangements. I know that if I send him a text or message, it will be returned promptly and my expectations will be met...unless they are unrealistic...and if they are, he will explain this to me gently :) I am looking forward to Swap Toledo's NEXT event, RECORD SWAP, which will take place at Ottawa Tavern on Sunday, July 28th! Finally, I cannot stress enough the importance this venue plays in granting us access to diverse live music acts...and FOR FREE 99% of the time. Cover bands are non-existent in this space and for that I am truly thankful!!!! So if you're just here visiting or you generally hang out in other neighborhoods, stop by...but make sure you drop the attitude at the door. Relax, meet some friendly folks, have a burger, catch some live music...and on some nights...RAGE LIKE HELL!!! And, if you're lucky, you may visit OT on a dance party night with DJs Jon and Michelle!!! read more

On a visit to Toledo last week, I said to our driver, "We should find That Bar!" I've cherished the memory of That Bar for about a year now, having stumbled upon it after a show. The layout was just so perfect, with a horseshoe-shaped bar near the entrance, a small stage area near a couple of pool tables, and then a slightly higher level with comfortable booths. Basically, every type of seating arrangement you could ask for, packed neatly into an average-size bar. That Bar became a golden standard in my rants about undesirable bar layouts. Now that we were returning to Toledo, I was looking forward to visiting That Bar. As our driver reminded me, however, I'd enjoyed our visit so much that I forgot to remember the actual name of That Bar or, you know, its location. In those halcyon pre-Yelp days of a year ago, we didn't automatically review our experiences in local businesses, so we didn't have an electronic logbook of our bar visits. I was distraught. But then, on the way to the highway, we passed the Ottawa Tavern, and our [heroic, saintly] driver said, "Hey, it's That Bar!" And so it was. This visit's highlights included very tasty, well-priced drinks, of both the mixed and beer varieties. Between the comfortable environs and the delicious beverages, the Ottawa Tavern is basically my dream bar. I haven't even tried the food, but based on the other reviews, we'll be heading back to Toledo just to find That Bar again. read more

The food was really good. I just ordered a burger, and I got it rare. I was surprised when it came out, it was actually cooked rare! and it tasted great. A lot of toppings choices. Interesting atmosphere inside, semi-indie rock, semi old man hang out. The chairs at the bar were so comfortable for bar chair it was almost too good. I tried three different micro brewed beers they had on tap, all of them were good too, two different IPA's and a porter. I think they had five non-run of the mill beers on tap, and quite a bit more import/craft beer bottles. The pay it forward drink chalkboard to leave a friend a beer, is really a cool idea, obviously I would buy a random dude a beer but the possibility of messing with or actually being nice to a friend is convenient. read more

This place is so very, very awesome. Exactly what I want in a bar--a little run down, but not in a distracting way. Comfy retro chairs, different rooms to hang out in. A little stage. A pool table. An incredibly friendly dude at the bar--who was actually a cook subbing for the temporarily absent bartender--who made perfect drinks. No too-loud music. Awesome signage and some outdoor seating. We stopped in on a Thursday night at about 9:30 or 10:00 and it was dead. Maybe not great for Ottawa Tavern, but great for our little group as we were able to relax and enjoy good conversation. I would literally make the drive from Ann Arbor just to come and hang out here. I wish something even remotely like this existed in Ann Arbor! I'd be a regular for sure. read more

Great live music on the weekends and cheap deals till 8pm. The staff is very friendly and they have a good selection of beer and liquor. Cozy bar to hang out at and they have a pin ball table! read more

The OT is one of a few neighborhood bars for the Old West End. They book great shows, the food is good, people are generally friendly, and drinks are fairly priced. Shit beer selection, but great selection of shit beer. Oh, and there's never a cover. Also, great place to watch football on Sundays if you want to get blackout drunk. read more

I love this place. Everyone who works here is awesome and they have the best bar food in town. We go there just to eat sometimes and I have yet to eat anything I didn't love (love, not just like). The fries and chips are freshly cut/made, and the burgers are incredible. Overall, this is definitely the best bar food in Toledo and I always have a great time hanging out there as well. read more

I love this little spot SO much. If you're in the mood for some live music, great drinks, tasty food and an awesome bar staff then this is the place for you! There's a little restaurant inside called Pizza Kitten (I believe) and they even offer vegan options!!!! There's a foosball table and plenty of seating. Male and female restrooms, and it's just overall a pretty cozy place. Feel free to dress down and feel right at home, I sure did. read more

Zenz!!!!! This place gets a lot of attention for cheap beer and great bands but hot damn, the bartender/chef is a freekin genius. Zenz burgers are their great burger with 2 grilled cheese sandwiches instead of a bun....freekin amazing! I was the first, according to the cook to order a chicken sandwhich "zenz" style and wow is all I can say! This is the best burger in Toledo and maybe in Ohio, if you are looking for a great burger, this is the spot!!!! Oh and the fries were great too! read more

Great prices on food and drinks! Wonderful hospitality from Zack, the owner. He went above and beyond with my group of girlfriends. The OT had an awesome vibe with just as awesome staff! read more

I love this place. They always have some kind is live music. The drinks are good and not expensive. You can get Pizza Kitten and eat at the bar. The employees are always super friendly. It's relaxed and laid back. I always run into interesting and nice people when there too. Everyone pretty friendly. read more

This place is just awful. The menu looks so cool but when if you actually are able to get food it ends up looking like it was cooked by your drunk college roommate. Ottawa Tavern is poorly organized and the staff is not trained at all. I could launch into a rant about the many times we've tried and failed to either get or enjoy any food here. If Ottawa Tavern wants to be a concert venue, be that. But don't tempt me with a potentially awesome food menu that you woefully fail to deliver on. After four attempts, we all agreed never to go back here. Ever. This is THE hipster spot in town so it can still be quite packed when there is a band playing. At these times it's really hard to get a drink. read more

Never again! I stood and waited for a drink for over 20 minutes with money in hand right in front of the bartender before leaving. I have no problems with waiting when it is obviously busy and understaffed, but to be ignored while countless others are waited on will not do. If you go there to watch a band and you get thirsty, do yourself a favor and walk down the street to the Attic. In past visits, I've dealt with rudeness by the staff and even waited over an hour for a burnt bacon burger. Ottawa Tavern you make me sad. I don't care if Jimi Hendrix rises from the grave and books a show playing though your makeshift sound system; I will not be there! read more

Came up from Columbus to see mr. Gnome play. The atmosphere was amazing, but sadly all three bartenders seemed to be too busy . Would love to come back for another show, but it seems as if you're not a regular, then you dont seem to matter as much. read more

A tiny bar with a bad sound system, uneven pool tables and a long wait for drinks. But still one of the best bars in Toledo :(

Good bar, free live shows all the time, relatively cheap drinks especially if you drink PBR.

What used to be the best bar in Toledo is now a shell of itself. If you haven't been in a few months you likely won't recognize a single staff member, or customer if there are any. Last Friday the place was closed at 1:45am, where as most Friday nights they have to kick people out at closing time. A sad sight indeed, I've had some amazing nights here. read more

This place was an absoute treasure. My brother and I found the the service great and the food delicious. Music was solid. Man those people can drink! read more

Full disclosure: I played a show here. Buuuuut, I've also been here for a bunch of other shows as a civilian. Probably the coolest place to see a great rock show in Toledo. Their booking is great (my band must have been the exception), the people are friendly and know a ton about music, and the clientele is across-the-board Toledo weird. You might see random muscle men, hipsters, drag queens, and Midwestern schlubs like myself any given night. If I lived back in Toledo, I would make sure that I lived within walking/stumbling distance of this place. read more