FOOD & DRINK
Bartender Cambria Moreo at Bar Bar OTR P H O T O : K AT I E G R I F F I T H
New Spot to Drink Drink Bar Bar OTR aims to connect two lively corners of Over-the-Rhine without pretension BY K AT I E G R I F F IT H
C
incinnati’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood offers a seemingly endless assortment of entertainment options. Findlay Market defines the northernmost corner, with veins of one-way streets and historic buildings embellished by colorful murals
pulsing outward from the market. Every night, Cincinnatians and outsiders alike descend upon the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood to indulge in dinner and drinks from area restaurants and bars. But from Findlay Market toward Liberty Street, local developers Chris
Reckman and Casey Coston of Urban Expansion see a lack of nightlife options. More specifically, the stretch was in need of a no-frills establishment to enjoy a few adult beverages after a long day. “In that area, there are some bars,” says Coston, vice president of Urban Expansion. “La Ofrenda, the tequila bar, or Cosmic Gorilla, the comic book bar. But there really isn’t a bar bar, you know?” Coston and Reckman are betting that repetition of the word “bar” will speak for itself. Coston and his partners opened Bar
Bar OTR at 1709 Race St. in December with plans to be extremely normal. Even if the name is a little too on the nose for some, it’s catchy enough to attract wonder. A standard place that exists between blah and boisterous, the bar exists as a go-to respite that has no agenda other than to be there for thirsty patrons or neighbors. “It’s just a bar bar. The non-theme is that sometimes you just want a bar, not a carnival ride or the Taj Mahal or the Hanging Gardens of Babylon or whatever. So we sort of focused on a comfy vibe, no pretensions,” Coston tells CityBeat. “It’s a dive bar, but dive
APRIL 6, 2022 - APRIL 19, 2022 |
CITYBEAT.COM
39
